Swampscott's Big Blue Bargains raises money for charity. They comb through the donations and don't…read moreput out any junk. The hours are limited, but it's worth a trip. I just want to correct what another poster said: Big Blue Bargains is located on Norfolk Ave in Swampscott and the back door of the former Clarke Elementary School (not the Middle School which is on a different street).

I almost want to keep this place all to myself, but I have to share whenever I find a great thrift…read moreshop. I went to Big Blue Bargains today for the first time. They're located on the backside of Swampscott Middle School and the friendly volunteers told me that they've been open for four years. They operate to raise funds for the Swampscott school system. This place is awesome - they have mostly clothes for adults and kiddos, with some small home goods and a smattering of other random items. I got some great stuff and all on the cheap - 2 pair of pants, 2 workout tops, a pair of boots, a backpack, and a couple small decorative items, all for about $20. I'll be visiting this store again, and I hope you will, too! Word to the wise, they're only open Wed mornings and Saturdays until 1 and they seem to be cash only (tho I didn't verify this).

After checking out the awesome murals in Salem, I searched for other places we could view outdoor…read moreart, and Beyond Walls in Lynn popped up! We drove over on a Saturday afternoon and easily found parking on Mount Vernon Street. The Beyond Walls website has an interactive map which we tried to follow, but it was a bit difficult, so we ended up just walking around the downtown area. We saw some really beautiful murals, and it got us out to a part of the state that I probably wouldn't have gone to otherwise. The streets weren't always the cleanest, but it was definitely worth the trek - I'd just recommend wearing close-toes shoes. After seeing a good number of murals, we hopped back in the car and parked nearer to the waterfront to walk along Nahant Beach. All in all, a really nice weekend afternoon outing in the time of COVID!

This cute free library box is located in Lappin Park near the Bewitched Sculpture along the Essex…read moreStreet Pedestrian Mall. Hard to miss as it is painted in bright primary colors and decorated nicely. Red and green and blue with blue shingles, there is a single door. Inside, two shelves that were a little bare. If I'd been driving, I'd have dropped off a couple of books from my own library that I'm working to thin out. Some childrens books and some self-help today. This library does not seem to appear in the Little Free Library database and it doesn't have a sign on it indicating so it's a "Community Book Box" and that's cool. [Review 18602 overall - 1184 in Massachusetts - 2124 of 2022.]

Just walked by and heard one of the workers screaming at a small child like he was a dog eating out…read moreof the trash for taking the iPad. If you have a kid named Alexander I recommend you spend your money elsewhere because this woman clearly does not know how to handle children.

My grandson has been in this school 10 months now. Starting at 6 months old. We moved from a…read moredifferent town to Beverly. This place is amazing! Sarah the lead in his infant class was awesome as well as the other caretakers. Miss Anna, Miss Sabrina, Miss Sally, Other Miss Sarah, Rebecca, Jen and any others that crossed his path. He is now in toddlers for the past two months and he loves it! He is learning something new all the time. The app is only as good as the information provided on it by the teachers. Love getting updates and pictures and notes as to what the focus was of the day so that we can bring that home and continue to work on it. I'm still learning the names of these teachers but they are all wonderful! I do know that there are two Miss Kates who are a delight! The front office is very helpful. Jessica is always willing to help. They all know the kids names and are all great! Overall the place is clean and the teachers and staff are great! They notify you immediately of any bumps or scrapes. If they think he is not doing well or may need your attention they don't hesitate to call. They are all very attentive and very special. I would highly recommend this Beverly school to others. It's not easy leaving your grandchild or child but Bright Horizons makes it much easier. This is my perspective as the grandma though I know my daughter and son in law feel the same.

If you're looking for a hall to rent for a wedding, I'll graduation give the nights a Columbus a…read morecall. It's a nice clean. Well kept bathrooms. I've been to many functions and I have enjoyed myself.

My family likes to host functions here as it is a large venue that uses Rollys for catering. We had…read morea birthday celebration for my recently passed grandmother. As far as I'm aware, communication was good and planned months if not a year in advanced. There's a full bar to make almost any drink you'd want. They wouldn't allow open bar for liability concerns but the prices were less than $10 a drink. One bartender was nicer than the other but overall friendly people. For food they set up a cheese and crackers table with fruits and vegetables to pick from as well. I liked the variety of options they had but I did notice some of the cheese had blue spots of mold on them. At the end of the day, I found out they were horrified and compensated for the whole set. They even showed the cheese packaging which was not even close to expired. We appreciated their response and fortunately nobody appeared to have gotten sick. Catered food was a garden and Cesar salad, chicken broccoli and ziti, meatballs, chicken tenders, and an assortment of deli sandwiches. I liked the meatballs the most and the rest was okay. Overall, the place could use an update but we had a good time. Would coordinate more events with them in the future.

Awesome Audience and Super Staff! We were honored to entertain the students and staff with two…read moreshows at Beverly's Next Generation Children's Center with our musical ventriloquist comedy. Special thanks to the children who joined us in the first show to play tambourines, maracas, and drumsticks. In the second show for older children, others volunteered to demonstrate their new ventriloquial skills after choosing a puppet of their choice from the big drum case. Volunteers were encouraged to say their first name into the microphone and try moving the puppet's mouth three times as they said "One, Two, Three" with their new puppet voice. Special thanks to Mr. Jarod, the teacher who volunteered to be our HUMAN DUMMY! He wore our ventriloquist face mask, played the "ringy, dingy, thingy" and "sang" our "No Bully Zone" original song with Chelsea The Chimpanzee. (No, they did not sing at the same time... we're not that good!)

We have been at this daycare for 2 years and have had a wonderful experience. It is a loving and…read morecaring environment. They do "homework" in daycare to ensure they are advancing academically for their age. If there is a concern, such as speech, Lisa will have a discussion to allow you to take the next step. The weekly rate of the daycare is very affordable and includes snack and lunch. Our daughter loves going to this daycare and has made many friends and is right where she should be developmentally. I would highly recommend this facility.

Parking is usually not a problem except for the winter snow…read more It's clean, has plenty of room to stack your recyclables, the employees are courteous and helpful and they pay in cash. Most of all, it absolutely beats trying to feed cans or bottles into the recycling machines at most every supermarket.

Nice people, quick service. Sort your cans by type to make it go faster. Much easier than the…read moregrocery store.

Choosing Peabody KinderCare has been one of the best decisions my family has made. I have the…read moreunique perspective of being both a staff member and a parent, and from both sides, this center consistently exceeds expectations. What immediately sets this location apart is how genuinely connected the leadership team is to the families. The director and assistant director greet children and parents by name each morning and take the time to check in, have meaningful conversations, and build real relationships. It's clear that they care not just about the children in their care, but about the families as a whole. The educators here are attentive, thoughtful, and deeply invested in the children they work with. They understand each child as an individual and create a supportive environment that encourages growth, confidence, and emotional development. The classrooms are calm, welcoming, and intentionally designed to help children feel comfortable and engaged. As a parent, the most meaningful part of our experience has been seeing how quickly my child has flourished. In just a few short weeks, I noticed positive changes in communication, confidence, and overall happiness. There is nothing more reassuring than knowing your child is spending their day in a place where they are safe, supported, and truly cared for. Peabody KinderCare goes above and beyond what you'd expect from a childcare center. It's a warm, professional, and nurturing community.

Children can learn values and knowledge every day at that school. I adore the entire staff the…read moredirectors and teachers are wonderful and treat my daughter like family .the teachers who are professional,kind,encouraging,playful,creative, happy and stimulating